International: Powerful Stuff, Vodka

Russia's 36 delegates to the
World Trade Union Congress in London (TIME, Feb. 19) gave a party at
the Savoy Hotel last week. It was a whopper.

The Russians invited 300 guests; 400 came. Sir Walter Citrine, Sidney
Hillman, Vasili Kuznetsov and other bigwigs sat at a special table.
Murmured a guest, noting that these dignitaries seemed to get more
vodka than the rest: "It's almost undemocratic."

Sir Walter had dropped in for a few minutes, stayed two hours. Only four
of the Russians spoke English. But they all circulated, smiled, drank
with...